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13 Franklin Baker workers die in van-truck head-on-collision in Sta. Cruz

A SERVICE vehicle owned by Dames Agency figured in a head-on-collision with a truck Sunday afternoon in Sta. Cruz town, leaving 14 people dead, 13 of whom were workers of Franklin Baker Corp. Four others were injured, according to the town police report. The other fatality was the van’s driver, who took the opposite lane when it crashed with the oncoming 10-wheeler truck. Franklin Baker, a major coconut processing firm, operates two factories in Sta. Cruz. Sought for comment on the incident, the company has yet to send a response as of press time. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Davao Oriental moves toward better mechanization for higher agri output

RICE FARMS bounded by coconut trees in Davao Oriental. — BW FILE PHOTO

DAVAO ORIENTAL, which recently bagged 10 of 23 regional agri-fishery awards from the Department of Agriculture, is focusing on improving mechanization to increase output, particularly for rice and coconut.
“Today, our direction is towards mechanization of our farming system, putting a premium on post-harvest and value-adding, and upscaling the science in our methodologies so that we can sustain production and even make it at par with if not better than our ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian) neighbors,” Gov. Nelson L. Dayanghirang said during the Gawad Saka awarding ceremonies on May 31 in Davao City.
“Before, our priority target is to reach out to as many farmers and fishermen as possible to achieve the greatest volume; now we want to not only reach out to more but to be able to raise the best crops by making them work effectively in commune with other members of their respective community,” Mr. Dayanghirang added, citing the provincial government’s Sustainable Agriculture Village Enterprise or ‘SAVE’ program as the industry framework.
The province, where almost 90% of the jobs are in agriculture, is the biggest coconut producer in the region and contributes an average of 7.4% to the country’s total production with an annual output of more than one billion nuts, according to provincial data.
Rice is another main crop in Davao Oriental, with 8 of the 11 municipalities engaged in rice production.
Other farm commodities are corn, mango, banana, root crops, and rubber.
Among the province’s Gawad Saka awardees were Edna Deypalubos, outstanding rice farmer; Conde Mascardo, outstanding fish culture (aquaculture fisheries); Betty More, outstanding coconut farmer; and
Tandang Sora BFT, outstanding Barangay Food Terminal non-local government unit category. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Mati hopeful CAAP will start operating city’s airport this year


THE DECOMMISSIONED airport in Mati City, previously used for private operations, could be reactivated for commercial flights within the year, according to a city official. Tanya Rabat-Tan, head of the city’s Investment and Promotions office, said they have been informed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) that repair works for the airport, located in Dahican, are underway. “We were informed that first quarter or second quarter of this year. But I really cannot speak for the CAAP right now,” Ms. Tan said in a media forum here Monday. She said a commercial airport will make a big impact in terms of attracting investors who already have planned ventures but are just waiting for better access. “The airport is good for Mati City,” she said. The closest airport to Mati is the Davao International Airport, which is about 151 kilometers away. — Maya M. Padillo

Nation at a Glance — (06/05/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Curry’s trey dazzlers lift Warriors halfway to title

STEPHEN CURRY (#30) of the Golden State Warriors attempts a three pointer against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena on June 3 in Oakland, California. — AFP

OAKLAND — Golden State sharpshooter Stephen Curry delivered a performance for the ages Sunday with an NBA Finals record nine 3-pointers powering the defending champion Warriors over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Curry’s 33 points on 11-of-26 shooting, including 9-of-17 from beyond the arc, lead Golden State to a 122-103 triumph and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven finals that continue Wednesday in Cleveland.
Teams that win the first two games have won the NBA title 88% of the time, a good omen for a Warriors club seeking a third crown in four seasons.
Curry, who already owns NBA 3-pointer records for a season and consecutive games among others, delivered deflating blows time and again to the Cavaliers.
The 30-year-old maestro scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, answering a LeBron James 3-pointer with back-to-back 3s for a 96-83 lead.
“It was big,” Curry said. “Any of those moments when you can come down and answer and keep the momentum on our side, it’s big.”
Curry added an epic desperation heave as the shot clock expired, a corner 3-pointer while being fouled and the record-setter with 3:30 remaining from the left wing.
Curry broke the old mark of eight 3-pointers in a finals game set by Boston’s Ray Allen in 2010.
“That’s a pretty cool deal to accomplish, knowing who has held the record for eight years,” Curry said.
“But at the end of the day, it’s all about trying to get a win and doing whatever you can to make that happen. If we focus on that, good things happen individually all across the board.
“I never woke up and was like, ‘All right, let’s go get nine threes and get the record.’ It was more so about playing the game the right way, having good intentions out there on the court and good things happen.”
The 3-pointer with the most acclaim came after he fumbled the ball, grabbed it, stepped back with the shot clock about to expire and fired in a miracle with Cleveland’s Kevin Love defending.
“Tough shot taker, tough shot maker,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green. “The one where he was falling away was like, ‘Oh, man, he’s really got it going.’ But we’ve seen this before where he completely takes the game over with his scoring ability, and he did that tonight.”
CURRY’S ‘MIRACULOUS SHOT’
Coming after a James dunk, Curry’s 30-foot stunner gave the Warriors a 103-89 edge. Cleveland never got within 12 again.
“I was trying to get some space,” Curry said. “I thought I had a layup at first, and I fumbled the ball and tried to see where the defense was. And Kevin Love was right on me. I actually lost the dribble for a hot second, and the only way to get a shot was to keep going back.
“I try all sorts of shots at some point or another, but at that point it’s just feel and letting it go, and thankfully it went in. A big moment where we had a significant lead, we could extend it a little bit and create some separation.
“It was a cool moment for sure.”
Love could only watch in amazement.
“No matter where you are on the floor, especially past half court on their side, he always has a chance to make a miraculous shot,” Love said.
“I felt like it was well contested. We played 23 1/2 good seconds of defense, and he turned around and hit a moon ball.
“It was a great night for him. It’s really tough to guard Steph anywhere out there on the floor. He’s just so good at finding himself open.”
Warriors guard Klay Thompson could only marvel as he watched.
“He just kept going backwards,” said Thompson. “But he just threw it up and I don’t think it had any chance of going in, but that was kind of like a dagger shot, and it gave us all the momentum back.” — AFP

Comeback king Zverev, Djokovic and Thiem into French Open quarterfinals


PARIS — German second seed Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic edged closer to a possible French Open semifinal clash of generations, with the youngster edging out Karen Khachanov and the former champion seeing off Fernando Verdasco in the last 16 on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Zverev claimed his third successive comeback win in five sets to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, beating Russian Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Djokovic eased past Spanish veteran Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and will play in the last eight at Roland Garros for a record 12th time.
Zverev produced some stunning tennis in the closing stages of a dramatic fourth-round victory and will next face Dominic Thiem who reached a third successive quarterfinal in Paris by seeing off Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.
World number 38 Khachanov has now lost at the last-16 stage at Roland Garros twice in a row, while Zverev ended his wait for a maiden major last-eight appearance at the 12th attempt.
“Well, I’m young, so I might as well stay on court, get some practice and entertain you guys,” smiled Zverev, who is bidding to become the first German man to win the French Open since 1937.
“Me and my brother (Mischa) are guys that spend three, four hours a day in the gym, lifting heavy weights, on the treadmill. It paid off today.”
The world number three, as he did in his wins over Dusan Lajovic and Damir Dzumhur, battled back from 2-1 down in sets to force a decider, before securing an impressive victory that featured 63 winners and 17 aces.
Thiem, the only man to beat Rafael Nadal on clay this year, held off a short-lived Nishikori revival on Court Philippe Chatrier to set up the meeting with Zverev.
“I think that’s the matchup most of the fans in Germany and Austria were hoping for when they saw the draw,” he said.
“He’s an amazing player. I mean, probably now the third-best after Rafa and Roger (Federer). So it’s going to be an amazing challenge for me.”
Djokovic, seeded 20 after a year of struggles with an elbow injury and mediocre form, was never in trouble against an erratic Verdasco, who needed treatment for a badly blistered left foot at the end of the second set.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion took the first two sets by a single break of serve and raced through the third as 34-year-old Verdasco ended with 48 unforced errors.
“I felt pretty good physically today, had no problems to go the distance in long rallies, and I won in three sets against a player who is in form, especially for this surface,” said the 31-year-old after his 200th clay-court win.
Former world number one Djokovic will face Italian surprise package Marco Cecchinato in his 40th major quarterfinal.
The world number 72, who had never won a Grand Slam match before this week, stunned Belgian eighth seed David Goffin 7-5, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.
STEPHENS POWERS THROUGH
US Open champion Sloane Stephens cruised past Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-0, 6-2 to book a last-eight spot for the first time.
Stephens, the 10th seed, had previously made the fourth round for four successive seasons and will next play either Australian Open champion and second seed Caroline Wozniacki or Russia’s Daria Kasatkina.
“Obviously… making the fourth round four times or whatever is pretty good, but to finally get over that hump of quarterfinals feels very nice,” said Stephens.
Wozniacki and 14th seed Kasatkina will return to Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday with the Russian leading 7-6 (7/5), 3-3, after their match was halted when darkness fell.
American 13th seed Madison Keys also reached her first Roland Garros quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu.
Keys, the US Open runner-up to Stephens last year, will face Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva for a place in the semifinals, after the world number 98 saw off Barbora Strycova 6-4, 6-3.
“First week, my goal is to get to the second week,” said 23-year-old Keys.
“Then once you get to the second week, every match obviously has more nerves, and there’s more on the line.” — AFP

NBA and Solar sustaining a fruitful partnership

NBA CHAMPION Bruce Bowen graced BTV’s viewing party of Game One of the 2018 NBA Finals at the Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City, on June 1. — SOLAR SPORTS

LONG-TIME partners in bringing top-class and exciting basketball action to Filipino fans, both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Solar Entertainment Corp. tout their linkup as a very beneficial one and something they are happy to sustain and continuously build on.
Started in 2001 of simply bringing NBA games to Filipino households, the NBA-Solar partnership has grown considerably since and is now credited largely for its role in enhancing the fan base of the league in the country.
It is a progression that officials of the NBA and Solar also said has contributed in seeing their respective visions through as brands.
“We have been partners with Solar for many, many years. And with them we have done a lot of groundbreaking stuff like launching an all-basketball channel. I think they are one of our earliest partners around the world to have live NBA games on a daily basis which is really great and did a lot in helping expand the fan base of the NBA here in the Philippines, getting people their NBA fill so to speak and having it part of the daily conversation,” said Carlo Singson, NBA Philippines managing director, in an interview with BusinessWorld on the sidelines of BTV’s 2018 NBA Finals viewing party on June 1 at Eastwood City in Libis in Quezon City.
“We’re very happy to have them as one of our media partners in the Philippines, and activities like this (viewing party), celebrating the NBA finals, are part of the partnership that we have with them apart from offerings on BTV and NBA Premium TV which give fans all the NBA that they need,” he added.
On the part of Solar, being associated with the NBA is both an “honor and a privilege” as it has been a boon since being part of its portfolio of offerings.
“To date the NBA is still the biggest property of Solar as far as the sports side. We’re honored and privileged to be the official broadcaster of the NBA through BTV and NBA Premium TV. That’s why we come up with activations like this to make sure our brand is associated with the NBA. We bring the action to the fans, show the games live and come up with magazine shows for it. We even have pregame and postgame features that are exclusive to the two channels,” said Paulo Fernandez, Solar Sports marketing manager, in a separate interview, touching on how their relationship has been with the NBA.
“The NBA has been hands-on in supporting our events, even sending some of its players over for our events like in this year’s finals with legend Bruce Bowen. They have been cooperative and we’ve getting input from them in better presenting NBA content in our programs,” he added.
Mr. Fernandez went on to say that apart from ratings, the NBA has been big in them getting sponsorships and in their push to expand to other platforms.
“We’re not only limited now to TV but also we are in social media and other platforms. We want to expand the reach of our sports channels with the NBA at the forefront,” he said.
Seventeen years since their partnership was made possible, the NBA and Solar continue to be high on it and the possibilities that lie ahead.
“We will continue working with them both in content and other activities that we already have success with them like the Jr. NBA program, NBA Fit and NBA 3X, among others,” Mr. Singson said.
“The NBA never really stops even when these finals are over. And Solar Sports will be part of it every step of the way,” Mr. Fernandez, for his part, said.
BTV will have viewing parties of the ongoing NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers in various locations in the metro. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Salomon X-Trail Run Pilipinas returns for a seventh year

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
HAVING established its reputation as one of the most challenging trail runs in the country and, consequently, garnering a large number of following, the Solomon X-Trail Run Pilipinas will be back for a seventh year in 2018.
Happening on July 22 at the Subic Bay Free Zone, the ever-evolving trail run is set to present new things to challenge racers’ skills as well as will and determination even as organizers said they are aiming to top last year’s turnout of 1,200 participants.
This year’s run will have two categories, namely the Trail Run category for beginners with 6 km. and 12 km. distances, and the more technical Mountain Run designed for experienced runners with its 24 km. and 32 km. distances.
Organizers said the Trail Run category is in line with their advocacy of inclusivity, to open its doors to avid runners with basic to no trail running experience so as to allow them to enjoy and appreciate what the Salomon X-Trail Run is all about.
While less demanding, the Trail Run still boasts of a technical terrain geared at testing the limits and abilities of the racers.
The Mountain Run, meanwhile, is positioned as the most challenging category and features a heady combination of terrains such as asphalt and rocky trails to rivers, sandy tracks, and steep technical ascents — all of which are designed to test the stamina of the most tenacious runner.
Registration for the trail run is set at P1,600 for the 6 km. run while for 12 km it is set at P1,500. Trail Run participants will receive a race bib, timing chip, Salomon X-Trail technical jersey, post-race meal, raffle coupon and products from sponsors.
For the Mountain Run, it is P2,000 for the 24 km. and P2,300 for the 32 km. run. The Mountain Run participants will receive a race bib, timing chip, Salomon X-Trail technical jersey, Salomon Microfiber towel, post-race meal, raffle coupon and products from sponsors. Only those who finish within the cutoff time will receive a Finisher’s medal for this category.
CHALLENGING
“I’ve been racing in the Salomon X-Trail since 2012. It has always been a good trail race and very challenging one. And now they have a variety of races, both long and short, and I think it’s great in promoting trail running here,” said Coach Ige Lopez, Salomon brand ambassador, at the media launch of the run last week.
He went on to say that he hopes more people take up the challenge and see for themselves how trail running is a worthwhile activity.
Given the demanding nature of the distances, participants of the 32 km. and 24 km. Mountain Run must adhere to the prescribed medical certificate before registration and mandatory gear before the race which includes a head lamp, a whistle, a hydration pack/belt with at least 500 ml of water. Those with incomplete mandatory gear will not be allowed to participate in the race.
Throughout the event, there will be specific areas and control points located in varying locations within the course to ensure that the participants finish the race within the official time alongside motivational posters and signages to encourage racers.
Moreover, the Salomon X-Trail Run will be a Green Race. Participants are not permitted to use disposables during the event and are required to bring their own water bottles.
Interested participants have until July 8 to register at Salomon stores at SM Aura, SM Megamall, Glorietta 3, SM North EDSA Annex or online at www.salomonxtrailpilipinas.com.ph. The claiming of the race kits will be on-site. Alternatively, online registrants can opt to have the race kits delivered via courier for an additional fee.

Baldwin, Blatchford, top finishers of Ironman Philippines 2018

SEYCHELLES’ NICK BALDWIN

SUBIC BAY — Seychelles’ Nick Baldwin and Australia’s Liz Blatchford emerged as the top finishers of the Century Tuna Ironman Philippines 2018, the very first full-distance triathlon race in the country.
Baldwin successfully swam, biked and ran the Subic Bay route finishing at 08:50:30, past New Zealand’s Cameron Brown (08:56:49) and Simon Cochrane (08:58:58), who placed second and third respectively, to win the men’s Pro division.
Blatchford, meanwhile, topped the women’s Pro division at 09:22:22, with fellow Aussie Dimity Lee Duke (09:40:45) coming in second, followed by New Zealand’s Simone Maier (09:47:39).
Filipino August Benedicto ruled the Asian Elite Division clocking in at 09:48:46. Pinoys Benjamin Rana (10:13:01) and John Philip Duenas (10:27:34) who came in second and third respectively share Benedicto’s pride of being top Ironmen in their own country.
Baldwin and Blatchford got their share of the $25,000 total purse prize for winning their respective categories. Also for the first time, the race served as a qualifier for the 2018 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, USA with 30 slots up for grabs.
The country’s inaugural full distance Ironman saw close to 1,300 participants with 50 countries, including the Philippines, represented. A total of 805 Pinoys were among the pack, a strong indication of triathlon’s increasing popularity and the country becoming a premier race destination.
“Filipinos earning an Ironman badge on home soil is making history. We hope the triumph of our Ironmen and Ironwomen today inspires our countrymen to embrace fitness and live healthier lifestyles — our goal as an organization from the very start,” said Greg Banzon, EVP and COO of Century Pacific Food, Inc.
The Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines 2018 is produced and organized by Sunrise Events, Inc. and made possible through the support of a number of sponsors and partners including: Alaska, the Department of Tourism, the Tourism Promotions Board, AAI, SBMA, Acea Subic Bay, NLEx and SCTEx, HOKA One One, Gatorade, Aquafina, TYR, Stork, David’s Salon, GU, Intercare, Prudential Guarantee, Media partners: The Philippine Star Hyper HD on Cignal, AsiaTRI.com and FinisherFix, Marketing partners: AlcoPlus, Cetaphil, Devant, Fern-C, Ford, PLDT Smart Communications, Regent Foods, Sanicare, and Timex.

UAAP Junior wars

 

2017-2018 UAAP Chess
Championship (Juniors)
1st Flr., QPAV Building, UST,
España St., Manila
Feb. 17-April 8, 2018

Final Standings

1. Far Eastern University (FEU) 39.5/48
Bd01 FM John Marvin Miciano 9/10, Bd02 NM John Merill Jacutina 8.5/10, Bd03 Jeth Romy Morado 7/11, Bd04 Istraelito Rilloraza 6.5/8, Bd05 Jarvey Labanda 5/5, Bd06 Dale Bernardo 3.5/4. Team Captain: Tristain Jared Cervero, Head Coach: GM Jayson Gonzales, Asst. Coach: NM Alexander Milagrosa, Team Manager: Atty. Ruel Canobas.
2. National University (NU) 34.5/48
Bd01 Dennis Gutierrez, Jr. 0/1, Bd02 Brylle Gever Vinluan 9.5/12, Bd03 Antonio Almodal 4/11, Bd04 Jayson Danday 12/12, Bd05 WFM Allanney Jia Doroy 9/12. Team Captain: Brylle Gever Vinluan, Team Coach: Jose Aquino, Jr., Team Manager: Samson Go, Manny Go.
3. University of Santo Tomas (UST) 30.5/48
Bd01 Dennis Gutierrez III 6/11, Bd02 Daniel John Lemi 7.5/11, Bd03 Emmanuel Von Paler 6.5/11, Bd04 Samson Chhiu Chhin Lim 9/12, Bd05 Anatoly Pascua, Jr. ½, Bd06 Haldrich Luke Cunanan UST 0/1. Team Captain: Samson Lim III, Team Coach: Peter Lim.
4. University of the East (UE) 27/48
Bd01 Nel Richmond Miranda 3.5/11, Bd02 Queenie Mae Samarita 0/1, Bd03 Noel Geronimo 9.5/12, bd04 Lee Roi Palma 7/12, Bd05 Leonel Escote 3/7, Bd06 Jamaica Marie Lagrio 4/5. Team Captain: Nel Richmond Miranda, Head Coach: John Perzeus Orozco, Asst. Coach: Robert Gene Mariano.
5. Adamson University (AdU) 15/48
Bd01 Jallen Herzchelle Agra 0/4, Bd02 Erick Spencer Valdez 4/11, Bd03 Jalen Rhey Lacambra 4/12, Bd04 Christian Hernandez 3/9, Bd05 Jarel Renz Lacambra 2.5/8, Bd06 Christine Hernandez 1.5/4. Team Captain: Christian Hernandez, Team Coach: Christopher Rodriguez.
6. De La Salle-Zobel (DLSZ) 12/48
Bd01 Christopher Kahlil Kis-Ing 5.5/12, Bd02 Hans Jeremy Reyes 0.5/6, Bd03 Jethro Dino Aquino 3.5/10, Bd04 Dhon Justine Agbayani 1/9, Bd05 Glesit Marie Tatoy 1/7, Bd06 Paulo Joaquin Villa 0.5/4. Team Captain: Hans Jeremy Reyes, Head Coach: WIM Mikee Suede, Asst. Coach: Susan Grace Neri.
7. Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) 9.5/48
Bd01 Caleb Chua 2.5/10, Bd02 Michael Olladas 3.5/12, Bd03 Elijah Derek Pilien 1.5/11, Bd04 Jaime De Veyra, Jr. 0/4, Bd05 Kurt Kenly Ong 2/11. Team Captain: Jaime de Veyra, Jr., Team Coach: Ildefonso Datu, Team Manager: Christine Mariano.
Far Eastern University (FEU) ran away with the Juniors competition of the 2017-2018 UAAP Chess Team Championship. The Baby Tamaraws were led by Asian Under-18 Champion IM John Marvin Miciano and National Master John Merill Jacutina.
The only school to give them any difficulty was UST — the Morayta-based chessers could only manage a 2-2 draw at the start of the 2nd round-robin against the Junior Tigers and a narrow 2.5-1.5 victory in the 1st cycle. Other than that FEU beat everybody else with either 3-1 or a 4-0 whitewash.
The rivalry between IM Miciano (FEU) and Dennis Gutierrez (UST) was one of the highlights of the season. They exchanged two high-quality wins.

[UST] Gutierrez, Dennis III A. —
[FEU] Miciano, John Marvin [B09]
2017–2018 UAAP Chess
(JUNIORS) QPAV Bldg., UST,
Manila (3.1), 24.02.2018

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Bd3 Nbd7
The alternatives 6…Nc6, 6…Na6 or even 6…b6 are considered stronger as now Black’s kingside knight is deprived of the retreat square d7 and White can get a dangerous attack.
7.Qe2
Here is the game which put a dark cloud over the whole line: 7.e5 Ne8 8.Ng5 (the most direct way to attack) 8…dxe5 Not 9.fxe5 Nb6 (Not 9…h6? 10.Nxf7 Kxf7 11.e6+ Kxe6 12.Qg4+ Kd6 13.Nb5+ Kc6 14.d5+ the attack is winning) 10.Be3 c6 11.0–0 Nc7 12.Nxh7! Nbd5 (12…Kxh7 13.Rxf7! Rxf7 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Bxg6 the finish will be similar to what actually happened in the game) 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Bg5 Kxh7 15.Rxf7 Rxf7 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Bxg6 Nf4 18.Bxf7+ Kf8 19.Qh7! Qxd4+ 20.Kh1 Kxf7 21.Rf1+– Qxe5 22.Rxf4+ Ke8 23.Qg6+ Kd8 24.Re4 Qd5 25.Rxe7 1–0 (25) Hansen,C (2595)-Hoi,C (2430) Taastrup 1998.
7…e5 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5 Ne8 10.g4 Nc5 11.h3 Nxd3+ 12.Qxd3 Nd6 13.Bg5 f6 14.Bh4 Bh6 15.Nd2 b5 16.Nxb5 Ba6 17.c4 Bxb5 18.cxb5 Bxd2+ 19.Kxd2 Rb8 20.a4 a6 21.b4 axb5 22.a5 Nc4+ 23.Kc3 Ra8 24.Bf2 Ra6 25.Bc5 Rf7 26.h4 f5 27.gxf5 gxf5 28.Rag1+ Kh8 29.Rg5 f4 30.Qf3 Rg6 31.Qh5 Rff6 32.Rhg1 Qd7 33.Rxg6 Rxg6
POSITION AFTER 33…RXG6
34.Qf5!
[34.Rxg6? Qh3+ 35.Kc2 Qh2+ Black mates]
34…Qxf5 35.exf5 Rf6
[35…Rxg1 36.Bxg1 the passed a-pawn wins it for White]
36.Ra1 Ra6 37.Rg1 Rf6 38.Rg5 Nd6 39.Bxd6 Rxd6 40.f6 Rxf6 41.Rxe5 f3 42.Re1 f2 43.Rf1 Rf4 44.a6 Rf6 45.a7 Ra6 46.Rxf2 Rxa7 47.Kd4 Kg7 48.Kc5 Ra1 49.Kxb5 Rd1 50.Kc6
White is clearly winning.
50…Rc1+ 51.Kb7 Rc4 52.h5 Rc3 53.b5 Rc5 54.Rf5 h6 55.b6 cxb6 56.Kxb6 Rc1 57.d6 Rd1 58.Kc7 Rc1+ 59.Kd8 Rd1 60.d7 Ra1 61.Ke7 Re1+ 62.Kd6 1–0

[FEU] Miciano, John Marvin —
[UST] Gutierrez, Dennis III A. [B01]
2017–2018 UAAP Chess
(JUNIORS) 1st Flr. QPAV Bldg.,
UST, Esp. (9.1), 17.03.2018

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.h3 c6 6.Nf3 e6 7.d4 Be7 8.Qe2 b5 9.Bd3 Bb7 10.Bg5 Nbd7 11.0–0–0 a5 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Bxg5+ 14.Nxg5 Nf6 15.Qe5 Rd8 16.Rhe1 h6 17.Ne4 Qxe5 18.dxe5 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 Ke7 20.a3 Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Rd8 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 Rxd1+ 24.Kxd1
Dennis does not realize that his backward pawn on c6 and bad bishop on b7 doom him to an inferior game.
24…g5
Moving the king to the queenside will not help. After 24…Kd7 25.Ke2 Kc7 26.Kd3 Kb6 27.Kd4 Bc8 Black still cannot remove his weakness on c6 and White will now initiative a kingside assault with his pawns: 28.f4 Bd7 29.Bf3 Be8 30.Bh5 Black is still in a bind.
25.Kd2 f6 26.exf6+ Kxf6 27.g3 e5 28.Ke3 Ke6 29.Kf3 Kf6 30.c3 h5 31.h4 Ba8 32.Ke3 Bb7 33.Kd3 gxh4 34.gxh4 Bc8 35.Bxc6 Kf5 36.Bxb5 Kg4 37.Bc6 Kxh4 38.b5 Kg4 39.Ke3 h4 40.b6 1–0
Chess is sometimes a simple game after all.
I foresee that next school year 2018-2019 FEU will be even more dominant in this Junior League — many of the other teams have lady players to beef up their lineups, for example WFM Allaney Jia Doroy of NU, a perennial gold medalist in Asian Youth competitions and surprisingly the only other titled player in the tournament aside from the big 2 in FEU, was the 2nd top scorer in NU. Next season the lady players in high school will be split off into their own division so the talent pool would be even more diluted.

[NU] Doroy, Allanney Jia — [UE]
Escote, Leonel [A25]
2017–2018 UAAP Chess
(JUNIORS) QPAV Bldg., UST,
Manila (5.1), 03.03.2018

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Bc5 5.e3 0–0 6.Nge2 d6 7.0–0 Bf5 8.d4 Bb6 9.b3 Qc8 10.Ba3 Rd8 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.cxd5 Nb8 13.Rc1 Bh3 14.Qd3 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 Qd7 16.Rfd1 Qe7 17.dxe5 Qxe5 18.Rc4! Nd7 19.Qc2 Nf8 20.Bb2 Qg5 21.h4 Qg6 22.Qc3 f6 23.Nf4 Qf7 24.h5 h6 25.Qd3 Re8 26.Rdc1 Re7 27.Qf5 Nd7 28.Ng6 Ree8 29.Rg4 Ne5 30.Bxe5 dxe5 31.e4
White will be relocating her night to f5 and rook to g6.
31…Rad8 32.Rc2 Rd6 33.Qf3 f5
Desperate, just to keep the knight out of f5.
34.exf5 Rxd5 35.f6! Rd6
Of course not 35…gxf6 36.Nxe5+ or 35…Qxf6 36.Qxd5+.
36.Ne7+ Kf8
[36…Rxe7 37.Rxg7+]
37.Rxg7 Qxf6 38.Nf5 e4 39.Qg4 Rd5 40.Rg8+ Kf7 1–0
Resignation is in order. After 40…Kf7 41.Rxe8 Kxe8 42.Qg8+ Black’s rook on d5 falls.
 
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant, he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

Curry’s bomb

As expected, the Warriors jumped on the Cavaliers early and made the final outcome a formality yesterday. After having evaded embarrassment in Game One with a combination of skill and luck, they knew well enough to hit the ground running and impose their will on the match from the get-go. The result was a wire-to-wire laugher that exposed the glaring disparity in talent between the protagonists. The O was rocking in part because of poor coverage from the visitors, and in larger measure because the hosts were playing with such sharpness that no defense could have stopped them with consistency.
To be sure, the Cavaliers tried to keep the score close as best they could. It didn’t help their cause that they began Game Two without any sense of urgency, perhaps still reeling from the heartbreak of the championship series opener. Still, they proved able to keep pace once they got their bearings, even managing to claim the third quarter, during which time the Warriors usually pull away. As things turned out, however, the inevitable was simply delayed. By the middle of the final period, only the final margin was in doubt.
Under the circumstances, it was but fitting to find two-time Most Valuable Player Steph Curry at the forefront of the Warriors’ attack. For all the scoring prowess of Klay Thompson, the all-around brilliance of Draymond Green, and the end-to-end ascendancy of Kevin Durant, his is the engine that drives the defending titleholders. Much has been said of his ridiculously long range, but it merely highlights one facet of his competitiveness; for his size, he’s likewise crafty with drives, finishing with accuracy or passing with flourish. Which is to say he’s unstoppable in his own right.
Certainly, the bombs Curry unleashed did not just keep the Warriors ahead; more importantly, they deflated the otherwise-resilient Cavaliers. Whenever the latter seemed to get close, he was ready with a spectacular three. And so on point was he that he wound up with a Finals-record nine treys by the end of his assault. He wasn’t joking when he ranked the MVP award last in his list of priorities heading into the series. All the same, he’s making a convincing case that he deserves to win it.
Looking ahead, the series moves to the Q, where the Cavaliers find themselves mimicking their plight in the East Finals; they need to win Game Three and, subsequently, three of the next four matches. Unlike the Celtics, though, the Warriors are much more seasoned and built to protect homecourt advantage, the 2016 collapse aside. The shock of Game One has dissipated. The regularity of Game Two has prevailed. The remainder of the best-of-seven affair should prove familiar and predictable.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

She was called 'hija' in the boardroom. Now she handles 40 people

Rebecca Plaza, the 27-year-old founder and managing director of architectural firm Plaza + Partners, Inc., was about to move to Hong Kong from U.K. to apprentice under her “idol,” starchitect Rem Koolhas in 2014.
Plaza, then 24, just resigned from her first job as a junior architect at U.K.-based architectural firm John McAslan and Partners, where she worked on projects such as the development of British Columbia Museum in Canada, The National History Museum in London, and other high end residential buildings.
But Plaza had to forego this opportunity to accept a business proposal from a Filipino businessman who happens to be her father’s friend.
“He kept calling me and I thought that if a big time businessman keeps calling a then-24 year-old to move home and set up a company, it must mean something,” she told SparkUp. “So I took a leap of faith though I didn’t even know what I would be working on exactly.”
For a young talent like Plaza, jumping into a new venture may be easy. After all, she finished her degree in architecture on top of her class at University of Bath, which is considered to be among the foremost schools for architecture and engineering in the U.K. There, she received awards like the Sir Basil Spence Prize by Prince Edward.
At a time where “girl boss” has turned into a buzzword, sensationalized by the rise of celebrity entrepreneurs in the likes of Sophia Amoruso, it might be tempting to believe that the proverbial glass ceiling no longer exists.
But Plaza struggled just the same. Her accolades and experience did not guarantee her an easy journey when she accepted the proposal and began running her own architectural firm Plaza + Partners upon her return to the Philippines in 2015.
“I didn’t know how to run a business,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was doing. There were so many times that I cried because I was just 25 years old then and I just moved home, how would I convince people to believe in me, how they will work with a 25-year-old?”
Her struggle in building her credibility also reflected when she began employing people to work at her company.
“It was really hard convincing people to work with me because I had a startup, so people were like, ‘why would I leave my job at a big firm to work for you?” she said.
She recalled that some would even call her “hija” during meetings.
But Plaza let her company’s accomplishments do all the talking.
Plaza + Partners’ maiden project were supermarkets, town centers, and community malls for Philippine Primark Properties. She was also introduced to Herbert Sy, whom she recalled meeting abruptly after landing back home.
inside-plaza-partners-projects
Satisfied with the company’s output, Sy, who hails from the family that owns and operates SM Investments Corporation, contracted Plaza + Partners to do more projects, including his house and hotels for SM Hotel Group. Her company was also behind the redevelopment of SM’s supermarket chain Savemore.
“We did really well. In the first year we were profitable right away,” she said.
Today, Plaza + Partners has grown into a team of over 40 architects, engineers, and designers who all holds wide experiences from leading designs firms in Manila.
Plaza is also promoting sustainable projects through Plaza + Partners.
Among her advocacies is the use of bamboo to replace common materials like steels and concrete. The company is currently re-developing local markets across the province of Cavite using sustainable materials. It is also in the completion stage of a resort in El Nido, where buildings are made mostly from bamboos.
“It’s hard to make people to switch their mindset on building with materials you would not usually use like bamboo, so not a lot people realize that bamboo is such a great material and that it has the properties of steel and compressive property of concrete,” she said. “Everywhere else in the world bamboos are celebrated, but here sometime people think you’re poor to build something with bamboo because it’s associated with the bahay kubo.”
Plaza attributes a chunk of the company’s early success to the trust of their initial clients and to the fresh and creative ideas of her team.
“I asked some of our clients, ‘what made you decide to work with us?’ And they said, ’to be honest we had few architects before and all the designs that they were showing us were really old—nothing new, nothing special. When we saw your works we were so refreshed with your youth and your ideas to do things differently.’”

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